Thread regarding Northwestern Mutual layoffs

The spending in this department is outrageous. People like KC brought in more people into the recruiting space that have made the systems worse. They had 15 different systems that did basically the same thing, no one has a handle on the contract management or actual spend in this department. You can tell that these 'leaches' that where brought in are starting to get worried.

They are now in meetings 'justifying' their jobs even through none of them can tell what's going on or give any sort of 3-6 month vision. Just we need a new process or application for this. I think they ran out of stuff they did at prior companies. Lastly they are lashing out at staff asking questions, its a great time seeing the end insight for these people. The light is shining onto the.

The reason you have not seen DR is because his consulting budget was cut. Now he can’t hide behind McKenzie or Deloitte saying this is what they said to do. Since he doesn’t trust the individual leaders only his hand picked yes group. Now that he has to do things on his own (aka think) he is stuck in mud, just waiting it out till JS retires in 2024.

JS is not happy with HR’s performance and has put him on ICE. Welcome to the lame duck era, our hope is he really can’t make things worse as a lame duck.

There was a groundhog sighting, they dressed DR all up to see if he sees his shadow. For as much as he talks about working for mostly remote companies and progressive, you would think he would he have more of a plan. Though his entire NM existence has been words with no action to help the employees, just his inner circle. DR thought Workday could solve cancer, someone should inform him it’s built with people and processes.

As confirmed DR cares more about his wine than the people who contribute to his success. We need to standup to his people and to him showing we are willing to be walked out just to end the narcissism and bullying!

Our hope is the next time DR comes out from his den is to either when JS actually takes action or he “leaves”. Like others have mentioned we need to air out the CHRO space once DR leaves to get ride of the stink.

Clearly DR has been busy and not able to address burnout and the holiday question because he was trying to get into his white pants. We know this because it’s past Labor Day, everyone knows you don’t wear skin tight white pants after Labor Day but wearing these pants has been his priority. You would think with all his handlers they would of told him those where NSFW and merits not the only thing that’s going to be surgical. It’s now just comical, he has become the parity of himself.

Wonder if DR's going to talk about his application for the CHRO of the year 2022. Heard he was working on getting nominated, I hope whoever does to voting on that reads what his staff and employees feel about DR.

Can someone say ego?

Human Resources under DR is TOXIC. No one in other departments wants to work with the HR teams because of DR's reputation as an authoritarian. He is not a man of the people and does NOT represent the individual contributors in the department. We can not wait for a new CHRO to breath life into our department.

Pick someone who at least has empathy and cares about the people they represent. I agree with others this reflects bad on JS and how people view the company internal and external.

The only thing you have in life is your reputation based on your actions and how you treat people.

The individual (DR) that treats people the worst is NM’s CHRO. He is the living Jekyll and Hyde which in turn reflects a lot of JS and the board in the remaining years of JS at NM.

We were told verbally of course do not put any low scores on the pulse survey, especially regarding leadership. The leader reminded the team it is confidential not anonymous and that if we make comments about our leaders or DR it would not be good for our careers in the department as they are able to pull the names.

I am a lucky one that was able to move out of DR evil spell in the HR department. The grass is not always greener in a different role or department but when you work in a scorched earth department aka a desert any grass is better. My new leader gave me a hug and said it’s a new start and said it is well known in the org about DR and his “style”.

My encouragement to others in the department is not all of NM is like the leadership of DR and his leadership team. You can find good leadership outside of HR.

You are not always in a place to standup to a bully like DR as he controls your future but there are great leaders like MC, RM, CM, JS (tech).

They probably all came in to help DR with his PowerPoint slide on where you’re gonna get a 0 to 1% raise. The low interest rate environment and stagnant inflation. Oh wait, we had 8-10% inflation year over and NM does not update salaries. He could used the slide deck from 2018 on that, oh wait, he has used it successful 0-1 percent from 2018 through 2022.

At a leadership meeting (not Nm) they called DR the used car salesman of CHROs. Tail light warranty and never trust.

We better see DR’s hairdressers and suit buttoning men and women here every Monday, oops I meant leadership team. Ahh the life of working for a stooge.

DR is a complete joke I understand why he’s “left” or as they put it these days, seeking other opportunities. He can not seek them fast enough.

We heard JS was going to make DR work every day on-site this winter season to heat the buildings with his hot air. It’s a cost saving measure as DR currently doesn’t not drive any outcomes (look at who DR hired) he can atleast provide some value.

The new CHRO is going to have a nice mess to clean up.

They're actually here to applaud the forthcoming messaging about mandatory Mondays on campus. Apparently SLT grew tired of letting us make our own decisions and can only lead by treating everyone like children.

Heard DR flew in his crew for his weeks departmental meeting to sit front row, throw flowers, and say good job good job good job.

Our hope is he gets canned prior to this meeting! Moral is at an all time low and no one wants to work for a human capital czar. We would be happier with the career builder monkeys running the department. They would care more about the company and staff then DR.

I don’t work for DR’s current stop but did for work at other companies DR was at. It’s the same playbook install Workday talk about career navigation. Take the golden parachute after 3-4 years after making no progress and disenfranchising the employees base.

The new CHRO’s has embraced the culture and have made big gains in trust and transparency. Way better than DR.

DR reminds me of Mister Burns from the Simpsons sitting on his thrown at home petting his dog just seething. His plan to rule NM with my brought in hired staff is not working out, everyone thinks he is a joke, people are just waiting me out. Now thats how you impact change at an organization, he never said it was for the overall good let's be clear.

When he leaves will they need a crane on Wisconsin Avenue to remove his ego? I don't understand how it's going to be removed from the office, I would assume NM will be providing a suggestion box to help lower the cost when the day comes.

DR is the Prince Charles of Human Resources doesn't really do anything but just walks around and does his professional ceremonies though he hasn't been seen in some time. I can not confirm that like Prince Charles his staff puts his toothpaste onto his toothbrush every morning and night (lookup that story as a side bar). The prior CHRO had a true ability to connect with her team and the broader organization.

For the prior commenter pretty much all of the DI&E were started prior to DR. If you really want to see nit pick look at everyone that DR has brought in, you can see the color in the pictures, I'll leave it at that... The D&I lead is his old work cohort AH, another I worked with them before. Nice diversity of through by our CHRO!

From what we are hearing is that there is a lot of not so good feedback on DR that is going to make JS do some sort of change. I don't think the majority of employees are going to last 2 years till DR leaves.

Pre-DR days were heaven…. IRs and CNs got generous bonuses that came from the pockets of high performers. You could hire your cousin as your direct report. No one challenged white men to think about outlandish concepts like hiring people who don’t think and look like them. The good ole days!

You have to watch this from Simon Sinek on performance vs trust. What his studies have shown is that the high performer of low trust is a toxic lead and a toxic team member and would rather have a medium performer of high trust!

This really resinates in the HR organization today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJdXjtSnZTI

The local paper reached out to companies in the Milwaukee metro area asking about return to work and employee burnout and what companies are doing. Specifically their overall thought and how they were tackling the issues.

Northwestern Mutual was a no comment. Good to see they are able to state their thought process about the challenge! If it's not in the best interest of DR he is not talking.

Since DR has come into the building things have been very chaotic! Always remember DR says we pay for performance :). I'm assume DR is receiving zero.

The summer interns were going to create a chat bot / AI as a replacement for the existing CHRO. The thought was it would to help provide additional input, feedback, and have a better engagement score.

It was not done because it was deemed there was already something doing this better then the CHRO, the coffee makers. This displays are impressive.

Don is completely disconnected from the reality of what is going on in the company. There is lack of trust in the pulse surveys as well because they can see your identity. People understand and rightfully so that he controls the department that hires/fires which makes it hard to give feedback. His actions have shown that he brings in his people and has not shown any desire for outside thought, people are just lying low to not get cut. He has done whatever it is 100 times at companies xyz, aka a walking ego. He probably invented the internet if you asked him.

There needs to be a hard reset with the HR department as they are not trusted or acting in the best interest of NM / the employees. Just a radical ideologist.

Silver Fox thanks for the "We are Listening" email today. I don't think that you can really read the room or maybe this is "old school HR" where you say we are listening to make people think you are doing a job. You and your teams are certainly not making any changes on the input.

We also enjoyed the snip about productivity is down, going into the labor day weekend. No explanation on how that is computed or additional incite but come on Don would we expect anything less from your stealer leadership. I think this is setting up for what others said prior using the perceived data to get people back in the office. I can't wait for Don's linkedin article, the last one he was in his 3 piece suit at the end of a long table looking like he was going to leap at you or how Russian dictator Putin sits with his staff, you choose.

I imagine the hatchet man DR licking his lips as budgets are getting tight he is sensing the only thing he's been good at... laying people off from his HP days. What we have experience he is a slasher not a builder.

Our hope is that he is the one that gets the pink slip (probably now digital). Time to rebuild the HR department and it starts at the top.

You are all under the mistaken idea that the HR department is there for employees. I remember the former Director of HR saying in a 'get to know' conversation open to anyone in the co. - the HR dept. is rally here for management.

I had heard that any employees going to HR for assistance with any issue shouldn't bother. I understood that loud and clear when I heard the statement from the Dir. o HR.

Nothing changes.

I am happy that I was sent this. It shows me that WE are not ALONE and we have the same concerns / issues with the direction and tone of HR department and CHRO.

We need to demand change from JS in this leadership position and put someone that provides health and harmony to the organization. Not a person who only there to feed their ego.

Modern day Bubble Boy! Surrounds himself with his own hot air and placed minions to say yes great idea, great idea, great idea.

He’s the laughing stock of the SLT members! The people who cares least and is the least connected in SLT to the employees is the CHRO, JS’s office we have a huge problem!!!!!!

The CHRO is looking at implementing the 4-5 day schedule in early 2023 moving back to pre-covid work schedule. Our leadership let us know that we should start making adjustments for Q1. There is a bias by the CHRO and JS that we need people in the buildings to justify the assets. Now why they built a ~450 million (all know its closer to a billion with the other changes that were made; 411, VB, NOB) building that does not provide additional value to the business.

Nothing like a tone deaf CHRO when his leaders are all remote but then makes all the other employees come in...

Echo what others have mentioned there is no trust with the HR department and they are no longer an ally to the population it serves. People are very hesitant to talk to anyone in the department.

Since this is in political year this regime would be voted out by their constituents as the CHRO does not represent his people!!!!!!!!!!!

When is the election for a new CHRO?????

This is what happens when the CHRO surrounds himself with 'yes' people, look at his org chart, all people he worked with prior except for TS and RP. He is a one trick pony, there is currently no room for diverse thoughts in the department, just the same recycled thoughts. If you talk to anyone that the silver fox hasn't worked with in the past, there is some very good commentary about his working 'style'.

I cannot see how JS can't see this deterioration of confidence in his Human Resources department by his employees.

The pay and benefits are substandard. Performance ratings mean nothing as they no longer equate to merit or AIP pay. The cash balance account is a complete joke and the lack of a 401k match is a warning sign to even a novice investor. Current employees mean nothing to this organization and new employees are playing this company like fools. Silver Fox must go.

We need to change our frame of viewing NM, it’s not a longer term employer. Like many have seen there when new employees start they are getting between 110%-130% of midpoint but at the current increases typically between 1%-1.5% existing employees are unable to obtain the midpoint. Then those people then leave after typically 18-24 months. They parlay that off as they worked for a fortune 90 company, I commend them.

Remember Don said 75% of the population are successful 5% highly or exceptional the remaining 20% consistency needed. If you are successful at midpoint or near midpoint typical salary increase is .05 to zero..

This is part of the frustration from employees. It is well known that NM is not the top payer or top benefits in Milwaukee, competing now with talent in the US has now shined a big focus on this.

In other companies HR and their leadership was looked at as an ally. At NM they are not viewed in this manner and like other have mentioned Don’s reputation is one not to trust.
That trickles down to his team and staff not being trusted. The organization looks at HR as a lost sole less island.

My HRBP said they need to take a shower every time they are in a a meeting with the CHRO. Sad….

He is definitely the least admired member of SLT, since he hasn’t really done anything of substance. The rare times he appears from his den I think NM is selling ad space for sliver singles over 65.

Asking NM's CHRO a sole less man to do something that isn't about himself or inflate his ego is fruitless. His reputation internally is the same as the captain of the Exxon Valdez, someone who is in charge and under his watch destroyed the hiring reputation and reputation of a ~165 year old company.